New to Medical Marijuana?

Tips for first time medical marijuana users

If you’re new to medical marijuana you can obviously see that the world of weed is a wide one. Not only is it easy to become overwhelmed with all the different strains to choose from, if you’re a beginner it’s also hard to know exactly what strain to pick.

A bad first experience with cannabis can really be a bad experience. Weed can make you paranoid, there’s no doubt about it. This is due to the THC present in the plant, the chemical in marijuana that is known for causing the mind-altering effects associated with its use. Higher amounts of THC can trigger anxiety, paranoia, and feelings of fear especially in those that aren’t experienced smokers.

This isn’t to scare you away from taking marijuana. We’re simply trying to tell it like it is to save yourself from having a negative experience when trying cannabis for the first time.

You’re first experience with marijuana should be a pleasant one. This is a medicine that holds the potential to literally change your life, which is why going about getting started should be done with care. There are definitely ways to go about taking cannabis for the first time without sending yourself over the edge, which is exactly what we’re here to help you do.

3 Tips for First Time Users:

Give Yourself Some Time

The last thing you want to do when you first try marijuana is overmedicate yourself. If you don’t want to get all weird and paranoid, the best thing you can do for yourself is start slowly and give yourself some time. Pick a day you don’t have anything else to do. Get comfortable. Start with just one puff, wait a few minutes, and see where it takes you. High quality medical cannabis won’t take that long to affect you and you should know after a couple minutes if things are going good or bad. If all’s well, try another puff. Chances are you’ll be all good. If it makes you feel good, awesome. Just make sure not to overdo it. Not on the first day at least.

Start With Lower Levels of THC.

If there’s one piece of advice you take with you make it be this one. Start with lower levels of THC if you’re a new cannabis smoker. Different strains of marijuana contain different levels of THC, and while they tend to average between 20-40 percent it is possible to find strains with a lower THC content.

Remember, THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana that makes some people feel paranoid. Being a new user, you’re not really aware of how cannabis is going to affect you so sticking with a strain that contains a lower THC content is your best bet.

Medical cannabis that has been tested will let you know the precise THC content in your product. If you choose a strain with lower levels of THC (think 20 percent and below) you reduce the risk of paranoia that comes with smoking weed.

Sample Different Strains

Once you’ve become a little more comfortable with medical marijuana is when you get to have some fun. With so many different strains to choose from, it’s hard to pick just one. With names like Green Crack and Purple Haze, you’re bound to try a couple based on name alone. Different strains offer different effects and are used to treat a variety of different conditions. Taking the time to sample as many as you can will give you a clear picture of what works the best for you.

There’s many a medical patient that has a specific strain they use during the day and another they use to medicate at night. Having a “daytime” weed and a “nighttime” weed isn’t uncommon, and as a newbie to the world of cannabis your job is to find out what strains work best for your own unique needs. Getting better never felt so good.

If you’re new to medical marijuana the first thing you should do is congratulate yourself. You’ve made a great decision that will positively impact your well-being in more ways than you could begin to imagine.

The next thing? Be safe and start slow. Follow these tips for a great beginning to what will undoubtedly turn into a lifelong relationship with a medicine that is rapidly changing people’s lives.

5 More Things You Should Know About Medical Marijuana

If you’re new to medical marijuana (and a lot of people are) you’ve probably got a question or two…or three or four about this increasingly legal substance. While marijuana’s nothing new and people have been using it for more than 5,000 years, its whole new legal status for both medicinal and recreational use have got a lot of people questioning exactly how and why this substance that’s been illegal for almost a century is suddenly making such a resurgence.

How Marijuana Works as Medicine

It Treats Numerous Medical Conditions

Marijuana isn’t medicine that treats one particular condition. So far reaching are its health benefits that millions of people use it every day to any number of medical woes.

It’s more than likely you’ve heard of marijuana giving one the “munchies” and the stimulation of appetite that marijuana offers is unprecedented for those who have lost their appetite due to treatments such as chemotherapy. Not only does it stimulate appetite, but is beneficial for nausea and vomiting as well.

Cannabis has been shown to benefit those with multiple sclerosis, psychosis disorders, seizures, Crohns disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and much, much more. There’s a reason there’s been a surge in marijuana for medicine and that restrictions and regulations continue to be overturned.

It works. And it works well.

It’s all about the Cannabinoids

Present in marijuana are 85 active chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. You might be familiar with the most well-known cannabinoid, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a name that has been making headlines for years as the chemical responsible for psychoactive effect and that feeling of “getting high.” Another cannabinoid known as CBD (cannabidiol) is becoming increasingly popular in the medical marijuana scene as an active compound that “doesn’t get you high” but is extremely beneficial for many medical conditions.

Why are cannabinoids so beneficial to our health? Our body has an internal endocannabinoid system that just so happen to include cannabinoid receptors. The cannabinoids found in marijuana work harmoniously with the body’s endocannabinoid system to create a stable internal system.

CBD is Extremely Beneficial

Because CBD is not psychoactive and doesn’t act as an intoxicant, it’s becoming progressively prevalent amongst medical marijuana patients…especially children. Because it doesn’t change your state of mind like THC does, it is often prescribed to children that suffer from seizures. It’s shown to be particularly powerful in treating seizure disorders and has brought thousands of families’ new hope.

The medical benefits of CBD have shown to be outstanding and often more powerful than those of their sister cannabinoid THC. While the two work best when combined together, CBD tends to have a wider range of medicinal benefits and works independently in the body to further reduce or prevent:

Diabetes

Alcoholism

Arthritis

PTSD

Epilepsy

Inflammation

Chronic Pain

Schizophrenia

Depression

Anxiety

Cancer

You Don’t Have to Smoke Marijuana

If you’re new to the medical marijuana scene there’s something you should know. Cannabis has come a long way from the days of movies like Up in Smoke and is not always consumed by smoking it. You don’t have to smoke marijuana in order to receive the medicinal benefits, and it’s now found in a plethora of products that might just blow your mind.

Rather than rolling a joint and lighting up, medical patients are finding they can get their doses of THC and CBD in a number of different ways. From soda and lollipops to gummy candies and cupcakes, marijuana can be eaten in far more ways than you can imagine.

For those who don’t care to smoke, they can still reap the benefits medical marijuana offers. Edibles, oils, tinctures, and topicals are all products people are producing with marijuana that deliver what you need…without the need to ever inhale.

There are No Safety Risks

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is not addictive and poses no serious health or safety risks. While many people find that the prescription medication so widely available can be extremely habit forming, marijuana is not. What it is however, is a relief to medical patients everywhere who are now free to take a medicine that works, isn’t habit forming, and doesn’t come with a list of harmful side effects.

While smoking anything over an extended period of time is going to wreak havoc on the lungs, you don’t have to smoke cannabis to benefit from its medicinal properties.

If you’re new to medical marijuana the, welcome! The legalization has been a longtime coming and many people have fought long and hard for it to be becoming what it is today. As it continues to gain precedence and positive exposure, we will no doubt see a time when the outdated restrictions and ways of thinking come to an end and marijuana for medicine is available to everyone…everywhere.

Why the High Price of Medical Marijuana in Some Areas is Keeping the Black Market Thriving

When medical marijuana was legalized in the places it was, patients didn’t expect to have to turn to the black market to get their medicine. Unfortunately this is something that’s happening more often than not, with the high price of medical marijuana in some areas keeping the black market very much in business.

In the States, you see, marijuana isn’t covered by insurance. Not regulated by the FDA, medical marijuana is something patients are forced to pay whatever their local governments decide is fair. And the price of medical marijuana differs vastly from state to state.

Typical Costs of Medical Marijuana vs. Black Market Marijuana

What a patient is going to pay for medical marijuana is going to be different depending on where they live and what regulations their local and state governments have implemented regarding medical marijuana. Typically a gram of medical marijuana is going to run patients between $5-$20. An eighth can range anywhere from $30-$60, and an ounce will cost between $200-$500 depending on the quality of cannabis consumed.

Without medical marijuana covered by insurance, some patients are forced to spend hundreds of dollars each month simply to purchase their medicine. This comes as a blow to many who are looking towards cannabis as an alternative to prescription medications.